A person with knowledge of the NCAA enforcement staff’s working arrangement with the attorney for former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro told USA TODAY Sports that the enforcement staff received budget approval for up to $25,000 to cover expenses incurred by Shapiro’s attorney related to depositions in Shapiro’s bankruptcy case.

The person said the approval came from the NCAA’s office of general counsel and its vice president of enforcement, Julie Roe Lach. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

This runs counter to statements made last month by NCAA president Mark Emmert. Emmert said in a teleconference with reporters on Jan. 23, “Any personnel decision, if it was a long-term personnel decision or a hiring of a general counsel or outside counsel, it’s supposed to be approved by the general counsel office, and that was not done in this case. The general counsel did not approve the hiring of outside counsel to conduct these depositions. That’s one of the issues that I’ve got to get to the bottom of and know how in the world that happened.”

Though the alleged enforcement practices in the case have led to widespread criticism of the NCAA, enforcement guidelines in the NCAA Manual do not explicitly prohibit such arrangements with attorneys.

Cecil Newton couldn’t have put it any better himself.

All that’s left to do is to turn the outside investigation over to Mike Slive’s crack staff and they can wrap this sucker up in a couple of weeks.

This whole Grantham-to-the-NFL thing… what if it’s not a marketing strategy for recruits, but a shiny toy meant to distract the media from focusing on the disappointment of several of Georgia’s top recruiting targets heading for places other than Athens?

If the AJ-C is any example, it seems to be working.

Regardless of what Grantham eventually decides to do, it has already affected Georgia’s recruiting. Chamblee defensive end Davin Bellamy, who Grantham had a major hand in flipping from a Florida State commitment, has expressed concerns to AJC Recruiting reporter Michael Carvell that Grantham might bolt for the NFL. But Bellamy said Grantham insists he will be around to coach him. Bellamy is due to make his decision Wednesday at 11 a.m. and it was speculated to be Georgia over Oregon and Tennessee. But his family seeking answers from UGA Tuesday night.

“This was our biggest fear,” a family member told the AJC. “We’re going to call Georgia and try to get more information.

…

Grantham is scheduled to meet with the media Wednesday at 2 p.m. – along with head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo – to discuss the newest crop of recruits. I suppose we could get some answers from Grantham then.

UPDATE: I wonder how close Grantham will come to telling the AJ-C to kiss his ass today.

“Coach Grantham talked to Davin and assured him that he had nothing to worry about and that he was staying at Georgia and he would be Davin’s position coach,” Mrs. Bellamy said. “He’s been recruiting him now for several months and he has his word that he will be there when Davin starts at Georgia in the fall. I was glad to hear that.”

After some small banter, Obama made a reference to Reuben Foster,“You guys just got another draft pick down there. A guy who already tattooed Auburn on his arm and then decided to go to Alabama instead.”

Newsome responded, “He did the same thing I did. I committed to Auburn and I changed my mind. It happens all the time down there. It only counts on signing day.”

… I think I’ve got just the tuneage for the occasion – Brit hippie guitarist Steve Hillage’s cover of George Harrison’s “It’s All Too Much”.

Quote Of The Day

“Being a student at Georgia and playing ball, I’ve definitely grown, widened my horizons and experienced things I never thought I would. I feel like I’ve grown on and off the field, and the university prepared me for that. I’ve done some awesome things and met some awesome people. I’ll definitely be back to finish my schoolwork, because that was a big priority for me and my family and weighed heavily on my decision. I know football won’t last forever. It’ll be great to come back and get that degree, so I can tell my kids about it one day.” — Roquan Smith, AJ-C, 3/7/18